Death of the Inhumans #5: There Was a Prophecy

The Death of the Inhumans miniseries comes to a violent end in its final issue from Donny Cates and the creative team. Although King Blackagar is back with his Royal Family, we find out that the beings known as Vox are actually his own Inhuman people turned against him. This sets up a brutal finale where the King must not only find his people, but bring to fruition the ominous name of the series.

Last issue saw the introduction of fan-favorite character Beta Ray Bill along with our first look at the army of individual Vox beings, and the final issue wastes no time in pitting the two sides against one another. The issue plays out quite similar to a final act in an action film, where the hero (King Blackagar in our case), faces off against the villain after a rousing speech where he hopes to literally save the day. This is driven home by Vox’s comment about how Black Bolt still “believes in happy endings”.  While the fight between the Inhuman’s and their genetically altered people turns out to be brief, the story is able to ground the battle in the character’s emotion, making for a poignant ending.

Black Bolt may have his Royal Family beside him in Death of the Inhumans #5, but when he faces off against Vox and what they have done, he comes to the realization that the Inhumans truly must die. This moment essentially made the entire miniseries worth it for me, personally. The story has successfully stripped King Blackagar of nearly everything at this point, but nothing could be more devastating than turning his own people against him. The decision to use his last scream on those who he considered to essentially be family was both powerful and raw.

These moments couldn’t have been nearly as successful without the artistic direction from Ariel Olivetti, Jordie Bellaire, and VC’s Clayton Cowles though. Black Bolt’s dire quest to return all of his family home is made epic by the relentless fights and visible emotions pouring through the characters. The visuals provided the perfect amount of spectacle and heart that a story such as this demands.

The name of the series is certainly upheld in the final issue, but it of course doesn’t come without a classic comic book twist. With Black Bolt’s final scream, we witness the death of the Inhumans, but in the process, Lockjaw and Crystal are returned as well. This unites the Royal Family after their struggles, and the issue closes with the group teleporting home. Donny Cates shows why he is one of the hottest writers available with this storyline. In just 5 issues he was able to clean up the complex continuity surrounding the Inhumans as a people, and he also managed to keep the Royal Family alive for their inevitable next incarnation. While some may feel this betrays the series itself, as a fan, I couldn’t have imagined a more satisfying ending.

But then again, I could just be relieved that Lockjaw made it out alive…